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2 Mins Read As Singapore continues its ascent to becoming Asia’s premier vegan destination, its first oat milk brand, Oatside, which launched its products earlier this year, has announced the closing of a $65.5 million Series A fundraise. The new funding was co-led by Temasek Holdings and GGV Capital as well as Arabica International, and existing investors Wee […]
3 Mins Read In a bid to replace palm oil, scientists at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore are looking underwater. A research team claims that oil extracted from specific strains of microalgae coil offer a viable alternative to the environmentally-harmful conventional choice. The oil is claimed to offer personal health and sustainability benefits, according to findings published in […]
6 Mins Read Cultivated seafood is shaping up to be a serious niche within the cell-based protein sector. This is especially true in Asia, where demand for seafood remains high. In fact, more seafood is consumed per capita in the region than anywhere else in the world and Asian consumers account for over 70 percent of future growth. […]
3 Mins Read Singapore’s Shiok Meats and Vietnam’s Minh Phu Seafood have signed a memo of understanding to develop a combined R&D facility to help bring cultivated seafood to Asia. The new R&D facility will be based in Vietnam in a move Shiok and Minh Phu, Vietnam’s largest conventional shrimp producer and exporter, say is paving the way […]
3 Mins Read Malaysian plant-based meat producer Phuture has announced multiple new distribution partnerships. The startup, which recently secured $1.5 million in funding to fine-tune its meat analogues, lists restaurants, retail outlets, and hotels as coming on board to serve animal-free meat. Korean chicken chain KyoChon is confirmed, as is the Grand Hyatt hotel. Convenience store chain CU […]
4 Mins Read Activist Smita J asks some tough questions about our global food systems and their reliance on Big Food’s over-processed, industrially farmed commodities, shares her learnings from a recent visit to a sustainable farming community in Indonesia and insists we can do better and create equitable, nourishing, useful food systems in our own urban communities. The […]
4 Mins Read Singaporean food tech startup Dynamic Foodco intends to help secure domestic food security and it says it can start doing so by the end of 2022 when it plans to launch its Dynameat brand, with a focus on plant-based chicken initially. The debut will be supported by a recent seed funding round. The amount raised […]
5 Mins Read Indonesia is incredibly vegan and vegetarian-friendly, but it’s Bali that really stands out as the ultimate plant-based heaven in the country. The island is now well-known for its abundant plant-based food scene, with vegan options available at almost every corner store and restaurant. While you’ll certainly need no help searching for vegan and vegetarian eats […]
4 Mins Read Asia Research and Engagement (ARE) has conducted a baseline study looking at the disclosure levels of Asia’s top animal protein companies, and according to its findings, only 16 percent of the biggest organisations put responsible sourcing policies front and centre of their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) disclosure. This represents a significant misalignment with expected […]
4 Mins Read Singapore’s Next Gen Foods, which owns the vegan TiNDLE brand, has welcomed two new board members to help cement the young company’s position as a global plant-based leader: Jenny Lee, a managing partner at GGV Capital, and Mathys Boeren, CEO of the Asia Sustainable Foods Platform at Temasek Holdings. Both new appointments bring a litany […]
3 Mins Read In a move to secure food for the domestic market, Indonesia is halting palm oil exports as the war in Ukraine drives global food prices up. Nearly half of packaged products contain palm oil. It’s found in food from cookies to pizza crust, personal care products, and animal feed, among others. But it’s as problematic […]
3 Mins Read Singapore’s Hoshay Food has released a line of plant-based ready meals designed to cater to local tastes. Crispy fried chicken and freshwater eel alternatives are included in the range which is claimed to be sustainable and health-focused. All ingredients in the new Hoshay line are natural and minimally processed, with tofu and shitake mushrooms taking […]
5 Mins Read Singaporean climate tech startup Handprint, which uses SaaS model to integrate sustainability-focused infrastructure into corporate platforms, has just closed a $2.2 million seed round as investors get more and more excited about impact assessment tools. The company’s ultimate aim is to offer businesses an easy way to improve their impact on the planet. Consumers are […]
3 Mins Read A shift away from fossil fuels, especially coal, particularly in Asia-Pacific countries is essential, U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said during the Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development on Monday in Bangkok. “Moving away from coal and fossil fuels in a region that accounts for 75 percent of global coal-fired generation capacity will not be easy. […]
4 Mins Read Indonesian plant-based meat leader Green Rebel has officially launched its range of beef, chicken and pork alternatives in Singapore. The startup has partnered with multiple restaurants in the Lion City to bring its whole-food-based alt-protein to consumers. The company prides itself on developing protein ‘made for Asians, by Asians’, a reference to a product range […]
4 Mins Read Singaporean jackfruit alt meat startup Karana has announced distribution in the U.S. The move comes after a successful rollout through Singapore and Hong Kong. Three San Francisco restaurants will be serving the startup’s flagship jackfruit meat, marking the brand’s first launch outside of Asia. The company has established operations in San Mateo, California. The U.S. […]
3 Mins Read Californian startup Eat Just has officially broken ground on its new production facility in Singapore. The mammoth site is located in the city’s Pioneer area and sits atop a 2.7-hectare plot. Construction completion is anticipated within two years, at a cost of US$120 million. Eat Just and a consortium led by Proterra Investment Partners Asia […]
3 Mins Read Singaporeans are more accepting of cultivated meats than their U.S. counterparts. The finding comes from a study conducted by the Singapore Management University (SMU). Data points to a correlation between social image and acceptance of new technologies with Singaporeans seemingly motivated to eat certain foods for a positive social image. Links to ‘kiasu-ism’ were made, […]
3 Mins Read The APAC Society for Cellular Agriculture (APAC-SCA) announced its launch this week as a new coalition with a mission to offer member companies developing cultivated meat and seafood access to shared information. Its key priorities include interacting with consumers, building knowledge and acceptance and developing straightforward regulatory frameworks. In a joint statement by APAC-SCA’s management committee, […]
7 Mins Read International Women’s Day is internationally recognised on the March 8th every year, and represents a focal point for women’s rights and is a celebration of the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. At times, it appears as though global environmental and social crises are too overwhelmingly large to tackle. But there are some […]
4 Mins Read Non-profit think tank the Good Food Institute (GFI) APAC has released a report documenting the alt-protein sector’s growth within the APAC region and globally over the past year. Highlights include a 60 percent increase in funding into the sector on a global level, with fermentation and cultivated projects claiming more funding than ever before. Overall, […]